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This month's conservation interview is on Fig Parrots. There are three different sub species. One of them is the Coxen's Fig Parrot and it is also known as the Double-Eyed Fig-Parrot. They are one of the world's most endangered animals with less than 250 left in the wild! There are around three populations of these birds from Bunderberg to the Queensland New South Wales Border in rainforest habitat.

Their main threat is the loss of habitat and nest hollow as they depend on them to raise their young in. But they are also threatened by the poisonous Vines Cat Claw which is a serious environmental weed.

To learn what Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is doing to help save this amazing species watch my interview below.

The Greater Bilby is also known as the Pig Footed Bandicoot. They rarely drink water as most of it comes from what they eat. Their diet consist of fungi, insects, seeds, fruit, small mammals, lizards, and sometimes eggs. Females have a backwards facing pouch so when they are digging they don't cover their young in sand.

This mammal is one of the world's most endangered animals as there are only 600 left in the wild. Their threats include habitat destruction, feral predators (foxes and rabbits) and over grazing (rabbits and cattle).

Check out my interview below to see what Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is doing to so save this amazing animal.

If you are bringing your kids into the Sanctuary this school holidays why not let them explore the kids on conservation trail. When you enter the Sanctuary collect a Kids on Conservation Passport which lets them collect the stamps at each of the stations and learn about the animals plight and what Currumbin Sanctuary is doing to help save them.

Recently I went into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my next interview on Eastern Bristlebirds.

These birds got their name from the small bristles on their cheeks. These guys are found in the bush of the hinterland on the Gold Coast, the Border of QLD and NSW as well as the border of NSW and Victoria.

Unfortunately this species is highly endangered. There are two subspecies, the northern and southern. The northern population only has 50 birds remaining! The southern population isn't going very well either but is better than the northern population. Their threats include feral animals, weeds, bushfire and habitat loss.

Check out my interview below with Kara on what the Sanctuary's doing to help save the species.

Recently I went into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my next interview on Koalas.

Koalas don't have very good sight but excellent hearing and smell. Believe it or not their fur is water proof! Koalas communicate by nose sniffing. A Koalas diet consists entirely on gum leaves which are poisonous to most other animals but not Koalas because they have a specialised digestive system for these leaves.​​Koalas are classified as vulnerable. Their threats include habitat destruction, feral animals, domestic dog attacks, getting hit by cars as well as disease. Humans have cleared 80% or even more of Koalas habitat!

To learn more about Koalas and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's role in helping to save them please watch my interview below.

Recently I went into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my next conservation interview on Tassie Devils.

Every Tasmanian Devils stripe is unique and one in 11 have no white stripes at all. They were named Tasmanian Devils because of the growling noise they made and when the Europeans saw them at night they could only see their ears as they can become redder as the devil flushes blood into them. They are the largest carnivorous marsupial alive today!

Despite this they are highly endangered. Their main threat is the devil facial tumour disease which started in the late 1990s. This disease is a cancer and causes horrible tumours which are on their face and sometimes their neck. The face tumours cause eating problems and make the Devil starve to death. 60% of the Tasmanian Devil population has died out because of facial tumour cancer. They spread this by fighting and biting each other on the face.

Check out my interview below with Daniel about Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's role in helping to save this amazing animal.

This month’s conservation interview is on Tinker Frogs. Believe it or not Amphibians are actually the world's most endangered group of animals! Thats right even more than mammals, birds and reptiles. Their threats range from a infectious disease that kills them in weeks called chytrid fungus to pollution, feral species and habitat destruction. Learn about Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's role in helping save Tinker Frogs and what every day people can do to help save them. Check out the interview with Michael below.

This month's conservation interview is on the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby, one of the world's most endangered marsupials! When Europeans first arrived the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby were plentiful but they were hunted for that beautiful coat. Thankfully that has stopped but now they have new threats. Habitat destruction and feral species. Believe it or not the Brush Tailed Rock Wallaby can climb trees! These Rock Wallaby's live in small groups with one male with three-five females.

Check out my interview below with Sarah to learn more about these beautiful creatures:

Recently I went to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my fourth Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Conservation Interview. This one is on the Orange-Bellied Parrot. The Orange-Bellied parrot is Austraila's most endangered bird with only around 35 left in the wild! Their threats include habitat destruction, feral predators, inbreeding and beak and feather disease. It is one of two migratory Parrots in the world and every year it migrates from the coast of South Australia or Victoria to Western Tasmania to breed.

Recently I met up with Chris from Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my third Kids on Conservation Interview. This time it was on the endangered broad headed snake. The broad headed snake is classified as vulnerable. The broad headed snake is quite elusive and its threats include removal of large rocks that they depend on. Rocks are often removed from their environment and then sold for use in peoples gardens. But they are also threatened by habitat destruction and feral predators. Unfortunately this beautiful snake is sometimes mistaken as a diamond python but unlike the diamond python being non venomous the broad headed snake is venomous.

The interview is below:

Stay tuned as there will be another interview next month​​Thank you for watching

Recently I went into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my second interview for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary conservation interviews. This one is on glossy black cockatoos and Currumbins efforts to save them. The glossy black cockatoo is the smallest species of black cockatoo and is threatened throughout a lot of its range. Its threats are habitat destruction, lost of nest hollows, introduced animals and bush fires. Habitat destruction threatens glossy black cockatoos so much because they are such specialised feeders. They will only eat from their favourite casuarina trees. Many local extinctions have happened in areas of their range. Check out Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuaries role in helping to save this amazing bird.

The interview is below:

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary have made a section on their website for the monthly blogs that I do about their conservation programs. Check out the Kids on Conservation Blog.

National Trust of Australia (QLD) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is excited to announce that we’ve teamed up with Enviro Warrior blogger, Patrick Brabant, in a new initiative to spread the word about wildlife conservation to Australia’s youth through a monthly blog penned by the Trust child member...The new endeavour with Patrick will see him creating video blogs featuring monthly interviews with various National Trust of Australia (QLD) Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary wildlife experts. The interviews will cover a range of conservation hot-topics in a bid to spread the word about current threats to Australian wildlife. In addition to this, Patrick will be addressing the issue of what every person, regardless of their wildlife experience, can do to help preserve our beautiful animals.

National Trust of Australia (QLD) is thrilled to be facilitating this direct channel to Australian youth; as the conservationists of tomorrow, it is vital that we educate and equip our younger generations with the knowledge and passion required to preserve our native flora and fauna. Patrick’s charismatic dexterity and his overwhelming passion will provide a reliable voice of information to his peers that simply hasn’t been present previously.

http://www.cws.org.au/trust-kids-speak-out/

Stay tuned as there will be another interview next month​​Thank you for watching

I am excited to share that recently I have became Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's guest blogger. Every month I will be going into the sanctuary and doing an interview with one of the keepers there about a conservation initiative they are doing. Recently I met up with Alice, the senior mammal keeper at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to do my first interview about their Mahogany Glider breeding program. I also got to see an adorable Greater Glider, Common Ringtail Possum and some Bandicoot babies that came through their wildlife hospital. The Mahogany Glider is one of the largest types of gliders and got its name from the swamp mahogany tree because it is the same colour which is a brown colour. They are one of the cutest things ever! Their main threat is habitat destruction. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service is working on protecting their remaining habitat in northern Queensland. Check out my interview below with Alice to learn about Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's key role in helping the Mahogany Glider.

On Sunday I visited the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital open day where I went behind the scenes and saw all the fantastic work they do. As I was signing into the hospital a bandicoot that had been hit by a car was rushed in to the administration. I felt so sorry for it. It was examined straight away. On the open day they treated a wedge tail eagle (caught in a dog trap), the bandicoot (hit by a car), 2 carpet pythons (one got run over by a lawn mower) and a legless lizard (got injured by a whipper snipper). The behind the scenes tour was amazing. I got to see the areas where the animals recover.

The first Vet that worked there started in 1989. Each year 8000 wild animals are brought to the hospital! In the past year the hospital has admitted 255 wild koalas (180 with disease, 49 had been hit by cars and 18 that were attacked by dogs) and 55 pelicans (21 had fishing hooks). Every year the hospital also gets over 800 lorikeets. This is just some of the animals they treat. Thankfully after treatment 45,000 animals have been released back into the wild! This wildlife hospital doesn't just get animals from the Gold Coast, it also gets animals from hours around. It is one of the busiest wildlife hospitals in the world!

It is so important to have a wildlife hospital like this especially here on the Gold Coast because the Gold Coast is Australia's most biodiverse city. It has 700 native animal species and 51 of which are endangered.

I would like to thank every staff member and volunteer at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary Hospital Foundation for rehabilitating these amazing animals and for giving them a second chance of life.